Fastener attaching machine



July 20, 1937.

S. NITTENBERG FASTENER ATTACHING MACHINE Filed June 2, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet l mv NTOR July 20, 1937. -WWTENBERG 2,087,461

FASTENER ATTACHING MACHINE Filed June 2, 19:54 4, Shets-Sheet 2 Fig. 5

July 20, 1937.

s. WITTENBE RG FASTENER ATTACHING MACHINE Filed June 2, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 y 1937- s. WITTENBERG FASTENER ATTACHING MACHINE Filed June 2, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4- &

g mm

Patented July 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE V v 2,087,461 FASTENEB, ATTACHING MACHINE Siegbert Wittenbcrg, Berlin-Halensee, Germain Application June 2, 1934, Serial No. 728,800

Germany October 9, 1933 8 Claims (01. 153-1) The present invention relates to a machine for the application of fastener members to ribbons and'the like and particularly to machines of this kind in which separable fastener members may be fastened continuously with great accuracy in series of adjustable length in a continuous operation and with a large output per hour.

According to the invention the machine is equipped with a device which is adapted to be continuously moved and is formed with grooves or slots adapted to receive separable fastener members and arranged in spaced relation at a distance from each other corresponding to the distance from each other at which the separable fastener members are to be fixed to the ribbons or the like forming the closure. vice is continuously operated the separable fastener members are deposited at the proper distance from each other on the seams of the ribbons which are fed into the machine at a velocity corresponding to that of the said slotted device and a cooperating device pinches the deposited separable fastener members to the ribbons by pressing together the shanks of such members. The invention also provides mechanical means for interrupting at any desired moment the supply of fastener members to the continuously moving slotted device and the'machine may therefore be used for producing closures of any desired 30 length.

Some constructional forms of the invention are shown by way of examples in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. l is a side view, partly in section, of a machine embodying the invention.

Fig.2 is an end view, partly in section, same machine.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the control gearing of this machine.

Fig. 4 shows the same gearing in plan view.

Figs. 5 and 6 show details of the guide devices for the ribbons and the separable fastener members.

Figs. 7 and 8 show on a larger scale, in plan 45- view and in side view respectively, how the ribbons are fed through the machine and the fastener members are fixed to the ridge of the ribbons.

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view showing another constructional form of the invention at which the slotted device for distributing the fastener members and the cooperating pinching or clamping device form a unitary structure.

of the Fig. 10 shows still another constructional form of the invention at which also the slotted device -for distributing the fastener members and the When this decooperating pinching or clamping device form. a unitary structure.

In Figs. 1 and 2, I denotes a wheel which is formed with slots or recesses a adapted to receive separable fastener members I5 and arranged in spaced relation at a distance from-each other corresponding to the distance from each-other at which the separable fastener members are to be fixed to the ribbons or the like. The wheel I is rotated about a horizontal shaft 2, for instance by means of a bevel wheel gearing 3, 4. The fas-- tener members are supplied to the wheel I through a feed device 5 a frame element 5a of which is secured with its lower end to the upper portion of the machine frame which supports the shaft 2. (Figs. 2 and 3.) Each time one of the radial slots a in the wheel I passes the lower open end of the device 5 a fastener member is dropped into the slot with the shanks pointing upwards. y

In order to prevent the fastener members from dropping out of the slots when the wheel is ro tated in the direction of the arrow a segmentshaped device I is provided which is adjustably arranged in a support 8 on the machine frame 9..

The device I is formed with a knife-edge 6 which projects into the space between the legs or shanks of the open fastener members and holds the samein the correct position. In the support8 also a band guide I0 is slidably arranged, which guide is formed with'a slot II (Fig '6). The ribbon I3 is moved through this slot and hereby the ridge I2 of the ribbon will take up a position above the upper surface of the slot II (Fig. 2). The front part I4 of the guide member I0 is downwardly directed and curved in accordance with the periphery of the wheel I with which it cooperates (Figs. 1 and 8), and the ridge I2 of the ribbon Iii is moved in a direction tangentially to the periphery of the wheel I, so that the fastener members I5 dropping from the slots a of'the wheel I are deposited one after the other with the legs spread open on the seam I2 of the ribbon' (Fig. 8).

Below the whee1 I, on both sides of the same, two toothed wheels I6 and I6 are arranged (Figs. 1 and 2), which are driven at the same peripheral speed as the slotted wheel I. The wheels I6 and I6 rotate uniformly on vertical shafts I6" and are fixed in such a manner to the latter that the shortest distance between the opposing rims of the wheels in the plane of rotation of the same is substantially like the thickness of the ribbon or tape l3 passing between them. The said wheels I6 and I6 feed the tape with a velocity corresponding exactly to the velocity of rotation I5, which by the-wheel I are deposited-on the ridge I2 of the tape I3 with their shanks spread apart, are caught in the'spaces between the teeth of the wheels I6, I6, and are held and conveyed by the same at a mutual distance equal to the pitch of the tooth spaces. As the peripheries of the wheels I6, I6 now approach each other the shanks of the fastener members are gradually forced together,. whereby, said members are clamped to the ridge I2 in the manner indicated in Fig. '7.

Thus, the uniformly rotating toothed wheels I6 and I6, the pitch of which is equal to the distance between the fastener members I6, feed the tape and also the fastener members and in addition hereto also clamp the fastener members to the ridge I2 ofthe tape I3. This takes place at a velocity which corresponds exactly to the velocity of rotation of the slotted wheel I which distributes the fastener members.

In order that the number of fastener members and the length of the closures may be regulated atwill and also in order thatthe fastener members if desired may be arranged In groups with intermediate free spaces, the feed device 6 is at its lower end facing the wheel I equipped with a; slidable pin I! or the like by means of which the feed device may be opened and closed. The pin I1 is by a spring I1 pressed out of the feed device 6 whereby the feed channel is opened. The efl'ect of the said spring is counteracted by a pendulum lever I9, which is arranged on a pivot I6 and tends to force the pin I'linto the feed opening of the device 6 whereby the latter is closed. Normally the lever I! by virtue of its own gravity takes up a position in which the pin I1 is withdrawn from the feed channel. However, as soon as the edge or abutment '26 of a slide 2| strikes against a cam 22 on thependulum lever I6 the latter is turned on its pivot I6, whereby the 'pin' or locking member I'| is forced into the device 6 and the supply of fastener members is interrupted. I

The length of the supply periods and also the length of the periods during which the supply of fastening members is interrupted are therefore dependent on the length of the stroke of the slide 2|.

The slide 2I may for instance be reciprocated by means of the crank mechanism 23, 24 shown in Fig. 3. The stroke of the slide 2I and the lever 24 is adjusted by means of the sliding mem- -ber 25, which is connected to the lever 24 by means of a pin 26' which projects into a slot 24' in the said lever. The member 25 can be shifted along the slide 2| and be fixed in any desired position on' the same.

In the form. of the invention shown in Fig. 9 a slotted or recessed wheel 26 is fixed to a shaft 2l. In the slots or recesses 26 of this wheel the fastener members are located with their shanks spread apart and projecting over the periphery of the wheel 26. When this wheel is rotated and the tape is fed forward at the same ve c y b low the wheel, the fastener members are deposited and fastened to the tape at a distance from each other which isequal to the pitch of the slots.

On-both sides of the slotted wheel 26 two discs 26 and III are arranged the flanges 29' and 36' of which project over the edge of the wheel 26. The

said discs are arranged on ball bearings 3| and 32 which are coupled to the hub 26' of the slotted wheel 26 for rotation with the. same. The ball races of the said bearings. may for instance be of spherical shape in order to allow some lateral defiection of the discs.

At the lowermost part of the wheel 26, on both sides of the sameytwo rollers 6,3 and 34 are arranged onvertical shafts (not shown), which -'the rollers, whereby-the discs are deflected about their ball bearings and the upper sections are deflected outwards so that the distance between the same is increased. Due to the inward defiection of the lower parts of. the discs 29' and 1 the, same will come into contact with the fas-.

tener members deposited on the tape and bend the legs of these members together whereby the same are clamped to the ridge of the tape. The fastener members are therefore deposited and fastened in a single working process by the same device, namely the slotted'wheel, and this wheel and also'the tape for receiving the fastener members are hereby moved continuously. The form of the invention shown in Fig. l0v differs from that shown in Fig. 9 in that instead of the flanged deflectable discs located on the shaft of the slotted wheel, jamming or clamping members of quite another form are used. For each slot in the slotted wheel 35 a pair of clamping members 66, 61 is provided the beak-like parts 36, ll of which project into corresponding grooves-36, 36" in the lateral faces of the wheeel 26. The clamping members 36, 31 are secured in this position by discs 66, 36, which surround the slotted wheel 36, to which they are coupled for rotation with the same.

On the lower side of the wheel 66, which is equipped with clamping or pinching members 66, 31 for each groove, two discs U are located, which are rotatably arranged on shafts (not shown), which are fixed in the central bores 46 and II respectively inthe said discs. The lower sides of these discs. are formed with flanges'46", 4I" adapted to act directly upon the clamping members 66, 31 and to force the same inwards, whereby the projections 26", 21" of the latter will be pressed against the shanks of the fastener members and fold the same together, so that the fastener members are clamped to the ridge of the tape.-

It will be obvious that various changes may be made in the details of construction and method of operation herein shown and describedwithout departing from thescope and'spirit of"the .same are distributed on a tape or the like and fixed to the same, a device for feeding the formed fastener members by their own gravity into said recesses, and a toothed disc on each side of the slotted wheel below the same, said discs being arranged in such a mutual relation, that the shortest distance between opposing outer periph-'- eral faces of the teeth of the two discs, in the plane of rotation of same, is substantially equal to the thickness of the tape passing between them, whereas the shortest distance between opposing bottoms of the spaces between the teeth of the discs is substantially equal to the thickness of a clamped separable fastener member.

2. A machine, according to claim 1, comprisinB means for holding the fastener members in the recessed distributor wheel, said means comprising a segment-shaped body :adjustably arranged adjacent the periphery of the slotted wheel, and a knife-edge body located on said segment-shaped body, said knife-edge body projecting with its edge into the open space between the spreadapart legs of the fastener members carried by said recessed distributor wheel.

3. 'A machine according to claim l,-comprising guide means for a tape to be equipped with fastener members, said means comprising a slot into which the tape may be introduced with the ridge of the tape lying above the outer surface of said slot, the front end of said guide projecting 'downward between-the toothed discs arranged on both sides of the recessed distributor wheel, below the same, and being curved in accordance with the curvature of the recessed distributor wheel.

4. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the segment-shaped body for holding the fastener members in the recessed distributor wheel and the band guide are adjustably and detachably arranged in a support on the machine frame.

5. A machine according to claim 1, comprising a supply device through which the fastener members are supplied to the recessed distributor wheel with the shanks pointing upward, a locking member arranged at the outlet end of said supply device adjacent the recessed distributor wheel,

spring means for holding the locking member in inoperative position and other means peri Jdically' actuated by the driving mechanism of the machine formoving said locking member into locking position.

6. In a machine for continuous application of separable fastener members to ribbons,tapes and the like, in combination, a slotted wheel adapted for continuous rotation and having radial slots arranged at a distance from each other corresponding to the distance between the fastener members when the same are deposited on a tape or the like and fixed to the same, spreadable cheek members partly projecting over the periphcry of said slotted wheel, and pressure devices arranged at the lower part'of said slotted wheel and being adapted to actuate said check members and thereby clamp the fastener members to the tape.

7. A machine according to claim 6, comprising two flanged discs arranged on both sides of the slotted wheel and coupled to this wheel for rotation with the same, said discs being deflectably their rims between the pressure devices and the cheek members, said discs being adapted to be deflected towards each other with their lower parts, thereby causing the clamping of the fastener members.

8. A machine according to claim 6 comprising a pair of deflectable clamping cheek members for each slot in the slotted wheel, said check members resting with hook-shaped parts in grooves in the lateral faces of the. slotted wheel and at the lower side of this wheel projecting between the pressure devices, the clamping ofthe fastener members being caused when cooperating cheek members are moved towards each other.

- SIEGBERT WII'I'ENBERG- arranged in their bearings and projecting with 

